❗️'Maybe we could get asylum in Israel': Trump aides joked ahead of election losses Senior aides to US President Donald Trump joked about seeking asylum in Israel during a private meeting held days before Republicans suffered a major defeat in the midterm elections, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. According to the newspaper, more than two dozen of Trump's senior political strategists took part in a private video conference six days before the 3 November vote, with participants voicing increasing concern over the party's chances at the polls. The report cited four people familiar with the discussion. The meeting reportedly featured dark humor about funeral arrangements, prison meals, presidential pardons and the possibility of leaving the US. "At least Bibi won. He'll protect us," James Blair, who left the White House to lead Trump's midterm campaign strategy, said sarcastically, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Maybe we could get asylum in Israel," Trump's chief pollster Tony Fabrizio replied.